Etymograph

English

tamas

Tamas comes from Sanskrit तमस् ‘darkness’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *temH- ‘dark’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temH-‘dark’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*témHos‘darkness’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*támHas‘darkness’reconstructed
  4. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEतमस्támas‘darkness’
  5. Englishtodaytamas

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*temH-‘dark’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*témHos‘darkness’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*támHas‘darkness’reconstructed
  4. Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEतमस्támas‘darkness’
  5. Englishtodaytamas

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *temH- ‘dark’

intimidate, timid, 19 more

through Proto-Indo-European *témHos ‘darkness’

temerity, 10 more

Today it means

noun One of the three gunas in Hindu philosophy, representing things that are inert, resistant, or dark and destructive.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *temH- / tamas

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